Separated, Together and Alone
by GiveMeButterflies
Summary: FINALLY COMPLETE! TIVA. Ziva could not help falling for Tony; a little too hard. Now that they have sorted out their feelings, life takes a turn for the worst.... Slight Jibbs as well
1. Late

Chapter One-Late

Ziva David practically sprinted into the bullpen Monday morning. She had taken the stairs two at a time and sat down at her desk at exactly 6:59 AM. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a look around the bullpen; she was startled when she found the surrounding desks void of her coworkers. She looked around in confusion and then glanced at the clock on her computer; 7:00 AM. She was right on time, right?

She pulled her cell phone out of her coat pocket and was surprised that it was turned off. _Huh. The battery must've died._

She picked up the phone on her desk and pressed speed dial for the director. Inevitably, Cynthia picked up.

"Director Shepard's office," she said in a breathless voice. _At least I'm not the only one running late today._

"Yes, Cynthia, it is Ziva. May I please have a word with the director?" Ziva asked politely.

"Sure, please hold on a moment," Cynthia replied, and Ziva was greeted with a moment of silence. _Come on, _someone _should be here, _she thought to herself.

"Director Shepard," Jenny's familiar voice said.

"Good morning Jenny," Ziva greeted.

"How may I help you, Ziva? Aren't you supposed to be at Quantico?" Jenny asked suspiciously.

"I just got in, Director. I suppose that is why Tony, McGee, and Gibbs aren't here then?"

"Yes, the call came at about 5:30 this morning. Did they forget about you?"

Ziva sighed, then replied, "No, Director, my phone must have died during the night. I am very sorry."

At that point the elevator opened and Tony and Gibbs entered the bullpen. _Great, I am in trouble. Big trouble._ Tony raised his eyebrows and Ziva knew he just had the same exact thought.

'I will let you off with a warning; irresponsibility is not like you Ziva. Send Gibbs up to me once he gets in before he slaughters you," Jenny said with a chuckle.

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Jenny. But I will," Ziva laughed, then hung up.

"Having a nice chat with the Director there, Officer David?" Gibbs asked angrily, standing in front of Ziva's desk.

"She told me she wants to see you before you talk to me," Ziva stated, which caused Gibbs to sigh loudly, give Ziva a very dirty look, and proceed upstairs.

"So what did you do this morning, Zee-vah? It was obviously more important than our dead Lieutenant," Tony asked, a mocking tone in his voice.

"Shut up, DiNozzo. My phone died during the night and I didn't notice until I got in to work. Director's letting me off with a warning. Where's McGee?" Ziva asked.

"Evidence lockup. What are you doing after work today?" he asked her.

"Assuming we leave on time? Nothing. Why do you ask?" she answered.

"Wanna go for a drink?" he asked, leaning back too far in his chair.

"Why?" she asked, suspicious of his intentions.

"Can't two colleagues have a drink after work just for the hell of it?"

"Two colleagues, yes. You and me? Hardly."  
"Aw, that hurt Ziva, really. C'mon, though, please? Only a couple."

"Fine, fine. If you must be so stubborn, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Now, catch me up on the case."

At the end of the day the most promising suspect was in custody, so Gibbs figured they'd let him suffer overnight, then interrogate in the morning. Tony leaped out of his chair at exactly 5 o'clock and took the elevator down to Abby's lab, where Ziva was.

"Come on, Zee-vah, let's get outta here before Gibbs makes us stay longer!" Tony exclaimed, entering the lab. The girls were sitting across from each other at Abby's desk, chatting.

"Have funnnnnn." Abby said to Ziva with a wink. Ziva rolled her eyes, grabbed her coat, and headed for the elevator. Abby continued to smirk at me in a suggestive manner.

"So what are you two crazy kids up to?" Abby asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Like you don't know," Tony replied, heading in the same direction as Ziva.

"Yeah, well, your point of view would be nice. What are you hoping to achieve before the day comes to an end?" she asked with a huge smirk plastered to her face.

"Nothing. It's just two colleagues going out for a drink or two. No problems there."  
"Yeah, Tony, but this is you we're talking about."

Tony sighed in defeat, then left a very giddy Abby behind. When he got to the elevator, Ziva was there waiting for him. "Come on, DiNozzo," she snapped.

"Yes, dear," he snapped back, and the elevator ride was silent. When they got out to the parking lot Ziva asked, "Who's car are we taking?"

Tony was shocked by her question. Of course, it was all in the plan to lure her into taking the same car as him, but he didn't think she would catch on to his intentions, much less be okay with them.

"Um, mine, I suppose." He led her to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She looked at him as if he had four heads, shook her head, then got in. He closed the door for her then proceeded to the driver's side.

The drive to the nicest, closest bar to his house wasn't a very long one, and it was as quiet as the elevator ride. Tony had tried conversation, but Ziva shot every attempt down.

Once they arrived and took a seat at the bar, Ziva ordered a frozen martini and Tony ordered a beer, his usual.

"Soooooo...How are things?" Tony asked once they received their drinks.

"Eh, fine," she answered, sipping on her martini.

"Things are great with me, thanks for asking. Why won't you talk to me?"

"I'm not stupid. I know your plan, Tony."  
"Really? What might that be then?" He decided to play dumb, hoping she was wrong.

"You want to get me drunk. Or at least drunk enough to get me to go home with you. We both know where it goes from there."  
All Tony could do was gape at her. Of course, it must've been that obvious. All he wants is sex, and he's been dropping hints for about...well, since Ziva's been with NCIS.

"It's okay, I get it. It's been what, almost three years now? Might as well give it a shot. Might be worth it, might be lousy." She set her martini down on the bar along with a twenty, grabbed her coat, and got off of the bar stool.

"Coming?" she asked as he stared blankly at her.

"Uh, yeah." He set his own drink down, grabbed his coat, and followed her swiftly out the door into the night.


	2. Attractions

Chapter Two-Attractions

Ziva walked into work—half an hour early today—with a smile on her face. The previous night had been absolutely _amazing. _She hadn't even stopped for coffee like she usually did and ran twice as long as she normally did in half the normal time. She wore a skirt today which was far from normal along with one and a half inch heels and a purple blouse. _Purple._ She wasn't even aware she owned the color. But since she finished her run in half the time, she had extra time to root through her closet, which mostly consisted of khaki, black, brown and dark green. Purple was a nice change.

She wasn't the only one who noticed, either.

"Purple? Very nice, Zee-vah." Tony, who gave her the widest grin she had ever seen.

"You look very nice today, Ziva. Any particular occasion?" Jenny.

"Wow, a skirt. That's rare. Who is he?" McGee.

And Abby had just gaped at her. Of course, being Abby, she knew everything.

"OH. MY. GOD. You did _NOT_!" she exclaimed as soon as Ziva walked into her lab.

"I did," Ziva smiled.

"I KNEW IT!" Abby squealed, jumping around her lab. "I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!"

Ziva hesitated, then asked, "You knew _what _exactly, Abby?"  
"That there were feelings between you and Tony. It was obvious."

"There are no feelings, Abby. It was just for fun." As Ziva said that, Abby stopped frolicking around.

"Trust me, there are. You just have to find them through all the awesome sex." She smiled, then wrapped Ziva in a tight bear hug.

"Abby, it was a one night stand. A _great_ one, but it won't happen again."

"I don't even want to know who you're talking about," Gibbs said, entering the lab with a Caf-Pow. "Ziva, back upstairs."  
Ziva nodded, then ducked out of the lab, where she met McGee in the elevator.

"Hi," he said, a bag of evidence in his hand. "Er, Ducky needs to see this." He gestured towards the bag of evidence.

They stood in silence for a moment, then Ziva said, "It was Tony."

"Um, excuse me?"  
"Last night, Tony and I had sex," she blurted to a very shocked McGee.

"Um, er, oh wow. Has this been going on...long?"

"No. It was a one night stand, and nothing more."

'Okay. Does anyone else know?"

"Abby. You tell anyone else, I swear I will kill you in your sleep."

The elevator doors opened and McGee didn't budge. "Um, yeah, okay. Promise," he said, then left.

Tony sat at his desk, contemplating the events of the previous night. Of course, it was amazing. More amazing then he had ever expected. But did it mean anything to him?

It obviously meant something to Ziva, all it took was one look at her. But to him, was it more than a one night stand...?

His thoughts were interrupted by someone hovering over his desk.

"Probie. It is extremely rude to hover."

"How was your night?" he asked in a suggestive manner.

Tony smiled at him, raising his eyebrows. "Wouldn't you like to know, McGoo?"

"Well, Ziva told me that you and her..."  
"And you would like to know the gory details right? Yeah, don't think so!"

McGee furrowed his eyebrows in frustration, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Tony sighed and got back to his thoughts.

Of course it had meant something to him. She was more than a one night stand, more than just a one time pleasure. She was not just amazing in the bedroom, but an amazing person. The question is, how does he figure out if it means something to her and how does he tell her it means something to him?

Ziva walked back into the bullpen at that point and sat at her desk.

"Ziva, a word please?" Tony asked, rising from his chair and walking towards the back elevator. Ziva gave him a questioning glance and followed. They were silent until the elevator came up, then stepped in. No sooner had the doors closed that Tony pushed the emergency stop.

"We need to talk about last night," Tony started.

"Yes, we do. I suppose," Ziva agreed. Somewhat.

"I know it was meant to be just a one time thing, but..." Tony said, still facing forward. He felt Ziva's gaze on his face and turned to lock his eyes with hers. She threw her arms around his neck and started kissing him furiously. Passionately. Intensely. Regretfully, he pulled back.

"Ziva, you can't tell me this doesn't mean anything."

"Of course it doesn't. It's just a one time thing."

"If it was a one time thing, you wouldn't be eating my face off right now."

She sighed, knowing she was caught.

"You just can't resist me, now that you've got me, don't you? Now that you know I feel the same physical attractions you figure why not? Here we are, in an elevator together, and we are both extremely physically attracted to one another. Why not?"

She stared at him in silence.

"Look, Ziva, I know that I'm not usually one to say this, but it's true. You mean more to me than fantastic sex. I think we should try this. Last night actually meant something to me, and it obviously meant something to you. You just don't want to get yourself attached to someone like me. Which I understand, but please give me a chance. We could give it a try."

Ziva glared at him, released her hold on his neck, then pushed the emergency stop button. They stood in silence until they reached the bullpen.


	3. Crazy

Chapter Three-Crazy

For the next two weeks, Tony and Ziva did not speak to each other. At all. Not even a word. Of course, everyone found this oddly suspicious, but no one said anything. Ziva wanted to talk to Tony, of course. She wanted to tell him he was right. That she was stubborn, and she felt more than physical attraction. Not at first no, but now...wow, is all she could say. Now that she knows that he _does_ feel the same way about her—and not just physically—she wanted to give it a shot. If he felt an emotional attachment and was willing to try it, he must've changed, right?

Ziva decided that it was time she confided in someone about this. But who?

Abby was her first choice, but admitting her true feelings would prove Abby right, and Abby doesn't take those things loosely.

Agent Lee? Yeah, right, Ziva couldn't even call her by her first name.

McGee? Ha ha, no way on this planet.

Jenny? That was a possibility. Relationships with coworkers weren't against _her _rules.

Since there was nothing to do and the only person in the squad room was McGee, she told him she was going to visit the Director, and took the steps to her office and MTAC two at a time.

Cynthia was not at her desk, which was unusual, but Ziva took no time to consider it. She knocked on the Director's door and did not wait for a response before barging in.

Jenny and Cynthia sat at the table in the middle of her office in a hushed conversation.

"Sorry, Director, I just...need to have a word with you," Ziva apologized, moving to exit the room.

"No, it's all right, Ziva. We were nearly finished anyway," the director said as Cynthia got up. "Close the door behind you, Cynthia."

Cynthia did as the director said and then Ziva and Jenny were alone.

"Director, I need advice," Ziva said as soon as the door closed.

"That's unusual for you, Ziva. What can I help you with?"

"You have experience with men. And relationships."  
"Yes, I do. What's the problem?"

"About two weeks ago I..." Ziva hesitated, then sighed. "I slept with Tony."

"Wow. That is...wow. Just...spur of the moment?"

"Yes. His idea. I couldn't help but agree. But then he said he felt more than just amazing sex. He said that he wanted to give us a shot. And that he felt something. I didn't want to risk...well, you know Tony."

"Ever since Jeanne he's been...different. Not so much commitment-phobia. You should try it. At least go on a date or two with him. Find out if there's an amazing person behind the amazing sex," Jenny said with a smirk.

"I guess I should. But we haven't talked to each other for the past two weeks."

"So go up and talk to him, it's no big deal! You need to learn how to be involved in a relationship, Ziva."

"Yes, I know," Ziva said, then left the director's office.

Ziva made her way back to the bullpen and to Tony's desk. Gibbs and McGee sat at their desks doing, well, desk work, so she dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Tony, I need to talk to you."  
"Wow, Ziva, this is a surprise," Tony said, getting out of his chair and following Ziva. They waited for the elevator in silence, once again. As soon as they got in it, Ziva pressed the emergency stop button.

"I am very sorry," Ziva apologized, just as Tony said, at the same time,"I'm sorry Ziva."

After debating on who should go first, Ziva shouted, "TONY, LISTEN TO ME!"

He immediately stopped talking and stared at her, urging her to continue, and she did. "Tony, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a pug-headed jerk."

"The term's pig-headed. And it's okay. But why do you think you were a jerk? I was too pushy and then I didn't make an attempt to talk to you. I thought that was what you wanted."

"As did I. But I did not. I was so stubborn. Of course I felt something, but I pushed it out of the way. And then the little thing I felt grew. And now it's overwhelmed me. I think we should give us a chance, my little hairy butt."

They both cracked a smile at that and Tony put a hand on either side of Ziva's face and touched his lips to hers.

Just one kiss, one kiss was all it took for Ziva to confirm her feelings. Yes, she was _crazy _about him. Yes, she wanted more, an emotional attachment, an actual relationship. For once, Ziva was falling for someone.

You could pretty much say the feeling was mutual. Tony would not release his grip on her. The way she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly, the way she was kissing him, he adored it. And to know she felt the same way, blew him away.


	4. UnTony

Thank you to all reviewers!! You make it so worth updating :

Chapter Four-Un-Tony

Ziva sat in her living room, anxiously awaiting Tony's arrival. She was sporting a dark purple silk strapless dress and very high gold heels. She felt uncomfortable even looking at herself.

Finally, after twenty minutes of uncomfortable waiting, there was a knock on her apartment door. She got up, looked through the peephole—even though, of course, she knew it was Tony—and opened the door.

"Wow," he breathed, which made Ziva smile hugely. "You look...phenomenal."

He, of course, looked amazing. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt, which brought out the color of his eyes and contrasted very well with his plain black tie and black jacket.

"As do you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him lightly. "Come on, let's go."

He agreed, grabbed her hand, and off they went.

When they got to the restaurant, Ziva was flabbergasted. The whole dining area was lit only by candle light, and a pianist was playing one of her favorite pieces. "Arabesque," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Tony asked as he pulled out a chair for her.

She sat down, then answered," The pianist. He's playing Arabesque by Claude Debussy."

"Oh. Sooooo...how are things?" he asked, attempting to start a conversation.

"Oh, fantastic. There's this guy that I met..." she started, then smiled at him.

"Oh really? What's he like?" he asked, returning the smile.

"He is perfect. _Very_ romantic."

"Really?" They were leaning closer to each other with each thing they said.

"Oh yes," she giggled, then kissed him on the lips.

"Ziva David, did you just giggle?" Tony asked, shocked.

'I guess so. You bring out the girl in me."

The next day at work, Abby could hardly contain her enthusiasm. First thing, Ziva came down to her lab.

"And after the restaurant, we went back to my house and watched a movie—Pulp Fiction—and then he went back home around midnight. No big deal," Ziva explained.

Apparently, to Abby, 'no big deal' is a very big deal. As soon as Ziva finished her explanation, she started dancing around her lab yelling "I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!" over and over.

Ziva let her get it out of her system and just watched her.

"Did you have fun?" Abby asked when she could contain herself.

"Yes, I did. Believe it or not, Tony is very sweet," Ziva said with a smile.

"How would you know that, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, entering the lab, Caf-Pow in hand.

"I, um, well, Tony was telling me earlier about his newest girlfriend. And, um, he was just, well, very sweet and so, uh, un-Tony," Ziva stuttered.

"Really? I'll have to ask him about that. What have you got for me Abs?" Gibbs asked, and Ziva decided it was time for her to head back up to the squad room.

Later that night Tony and Ziva were curled up on the couch in Tony's apartment. Tony, very intent on the movie they were watching (Fight Club) did not even notice Ziva's snoring, until he shifted his weight and she awoke.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't know you were asleep."

"That's okay. What did I miss?" she asked, referring to the movie.

By the time Tony finished his in-depth analysis of almost the entire movie, she was snoring again. "Huh," he sighed.

Once the movie came to an end Ziva was still fast asleep, her head on Tony's chest. Tony shifted his weight carefully in order not to disturb her. He lifted her off of the couch very carefully, taking extra care not to wake her. He carried her down the hall and into his bedroom, laying her gently on the right side of the bed. He turned to leave and heard her say,"Nice try." He smiled to himself and crawled in bed next to her, falling asleep to the beautiful deep brown of her eyes and the silky curls of her hair.

Ziva awoke the next morning in a strange bedroom, still in the clothes she wore the previous night. For a moment, she could not remember what had happened, until she saw the sleeping form of Tony lying next to her. She watched him snore for a few minutes longer, then decided it was time for him to wake up. She ran a hand through his hair and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She could tell that he was halfway awake, so she said, "Good morning sunshine," and kissed him on the lips.

Of course he responded, kissing back, not even bothering to open his eyes. When she broke away—smiling—he grumbled, "Mornin,'" and rubbed his eyes. He got up and stumbled his way into the bathroom.

Ziva smiled to herself, then got out of the bed. She felt grungy in the same clothes she wore the day before; she rooted through Tony's wardrobe and decided on blue and green plaid pajama pants and a red Ohio State sweatshirt.

She made her way to the kitchen and made some coffee, then helped herself to a Krispy Kreme donut.

"Smells like coffee," Tony remarked as he entered the kitchen, now wearing a pair of jeans and an NCIS t-shirt.

"Uh huh," Ziva agreed, then handed him a mug. They were silent for a few minutes, staring at each other drinking their coffee, then Ziva said, "Tony, what will we do if Gibbs finds out?"

"He won't. We can keep a secret," he replied.

"Well, um, I kind of already might have let it slip this morning," Ziva confessed.

"How did you do that?" Tony asked, calmer than Ziva expected.

"I was telling Abby that you were actually a very sweet guy and Gibbs came in and asked how I knew that. And I said that you told me about your new girlfriend and that you were very sweet about it and so...un-Tony," she explained.

"Do you think that I am acting un-Tony?" he asked, reaching across the kitchen table to hold her hand.

"Well, yes. You are usually so arrogant, so...annoying. But now you are being very sweet."

Tony had to chuckle at that. "Well yes, Ziva, but these are definitely not normal circumstances."


	5. Love

**This is probably going to be the last update for about a week or so, stupid summer reading I still have to do. But thanks again to reviewers!**

Chapter Five-Love

The next few weeks passed rather smoothly for Tony and Ziva. They never spent a night away from each other but that would stop after one Friday night when they were watching a movie on the couch in Tony's apartment and his phone rang.

"DiNozzo," he answered.

"Yeah, you and Ziva need to get in here like now," McGee said.

"And why is that Elflord?"

"Because Gibbs said so, and he is not very happy right now."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know!"

"Okay, okay Probie don't get your panties in a bunch. We'll be right there," Tony said, then hung up.

"What is it?" Ziva asked him, pausing the movie.

"Probie says Gibbs said that we need to get in there. Now."

"Why?"

"Beats me."

Ten minutes later Ziva and Tony were entering the squad room and Gibbs yelled, "MTAC, now, all of you!" They all exchanged glances and did as he said.

When they entered MTAC, they were not alone. The director was there, along with another man around Tony's age.

"What is this about?" Tony asked, looking from Gibbs to the director.

"Have a seat. This is going to be a long story," the director said.

Tony and Ziva exchanged a worried glance, then did as she said.

"This is Robert O'Malley of the CIA," the director said, gesturing to the other man in the room.

"And this," he said, gesturing to a picture on the screen of a beautiful, tall, curvy, dark-haired woman, "is Lucia Benedetto."

"Are we supposed to know who she is...?" McGee asked stupidly.

"No, Elflord, that's why Mr. O'Malley is here," Gibbs answered him, accompanied by a slap to the head.

"She is a serial killer, who is very, very good. Impossible to catch. Of course, we know it's her. We just don't have enough to convict her," Mr. O'Malley continued.

"What role do we play in this?" Tony asked.

"You, Special Agent DiNozzo, play a very vital role in this investigation."

"What does this investigation have anything to do with the Navy?" Ziva asked.

"She is a serial killer of Navy sailors all over Europe. Of course, once we find enough evidence to legally convict her, she disappears off the face of the planet," Director Shepard answered. "The role we play is simple; send someone in undercover, investigate, convict."

"And the agent going undercover is...?" Tony asked.

"You, Special Agent DiNozzo. You are going undercover as Benedetto's girlfriend," Mr. O'Malley answered.

"No. Noooooooo way. See, I've done this before and it went horribly wrong," Tony answered, clear shock written all across his face.

"But this time you won't have to worry about falling in love with her," Ziva said quietly, smiling slightly at him.

"Your flight leaves tomorrow afternoon. I suggest you start packing, then get back here at 0900 sharp. The rest of you will depart with me a week later," the director said, which was clearly a sign for dismissal.

"I cannot believe this!" Tony fumed, throwing various items of clothing into a suitcase. "Completely unfair! It's one thing, throwing me into an unwanted relationship, another thing flying me to Italy!"

Ziva sat on his bed, folding the clothing he was throwing.

"Calm down," she said simply.

"Why? How can they force me to do this _again?!"_

"Because I'll be here when you get back," she said, getting off the bed and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know," he said, kissing her passionately. "This packing can wait, can't it?" he said with a mischievous grin which Ziva returned.

"Where is DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked McGee menacingly. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"Well, he isn't answering his phone. Neither is Ziva," McGee answered.

"What does Ziva have anything to do with this?" Gibbs asked, taking a seat at his own desk.

"Um, well, she was supposed to be here too. And she isn't. So I just thought..."

"Yeah, yeah," Gibbs said as Ziva and Tony stepped out of the elevator. "DiNozzo, MTAC, now!"

McGee watched Ziva, smiling widely, take off her coat, throw her bag on the floor, and plop into her chair. "Why are you so happy?"

"_Great_ night," she laughed.

McGee rolled his eyes, not even bothering to ask her to elaborate.

They sat in silence until Ziva said suddenly, "McGee, have you ever been in love?"

Shocked by her question, he answered, "Um, well, I think so."

"How do you only 'think' so? You either are or you aren't."

"I was. I'm not sure if she was."

"Did you tell her?" Ziva got out of her chair and knelt in front of McGee's desk.

"Yes. Then she ended it."

"Aw, I'm sorry McGee! Did you just say it out of nowhere?"

McGee sighed deeply, then said, "We were in her apartment, I said I loved her, she said she couldn't handle that sort of commitment. We fought, I left."

"If you could've done it differently, what would you have done?"

"What are you, my therapist?"

"No, I'm curious."

He sighed again, then said, "I would've been more discreet. I would've asked where our relationship stood first, if she wanted commitment. If not, I would've just said it then told her that whatever she wanted to do from there was fine. I should have prepared myself for a break up."

"Do you regret not doing that?"

All he did was glare at her.

"Do you?" she pressed.

"Of course. I lost the best thing that ever happened to me. And I know what you're getting at. Let Tony say it first."

"How do you know he will?"

"Because of the way he looks at you."


	6. Separated

**Thanks to reviewers! This is **_**definitely **_**going to be the last update for at least three or four days.**

Chapter Six-Separated

Ziva rolled over in her bed and struggled to open her eyes. It was 6:30 AM, an hour later than she usually woke up. She's been getting too much sleep since Tony left. She could still feel the silkiness of his hair under her fingers and hear the steady beating of his hear under her ear and suddenly it was all yanked from under her.

She figured that if she wanted to see Tony soon, she might as well get up and assist with the Benedetto investigation. She made her way to her closet and put on the first things she touched. She didn't even bother to get coffee before she dashed out the door.

She drove to work in some sort of a daze, not even aware of arriving at work 10 minutes late. Luckily, Gibbs was in a meeting.

"Are you okay?" McGee asked Ziva as she plopped into her chair.

"No," she replied, staring longingly at the desk across from her.

Admitting vulnerability is extremely strange for Ziva, so McGee asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she said, continuing to stare at Tony's desk.

About twenty minutes later the director called McGee, Ziva, and Gibbs to her office. They all had a seat at the table in the center of the room.

"So far, so good," she explained, gesturing to a picture on the plasma screen of Tony and the beautiful serial killer at a trashy looking bar. "Tony, or should I say Antonio, "accidentally" ran into Lucia at a bar in Rome. They talked and from what I have heard they "hooked up". They are having dinner this Friday evening."

'What will Tony be doing in the meantime?" Ziva asked.

"Mostly laying low. Here," Jenny said, handing them each a manila folder," is everything you need to know about the case. If you need to contact Tony for any reason, use his aliases cell number and ask for Gregory."

"Gregory?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Code word, Jethro. Remember, we leave in four days, so please meet in MTAC at 0700 with everything you will need. I have no idea how long we will be gone, but hopefully not any longer than three weeks."

They took that as a dismissal, until the director said, "Ziva, a word please?"

"Of course, Director," Ziva replied sitting in the chair across from Jenny's desk.

"Are you all right? You look like you've gotten less than two hours of sleep," Jenny commented.

"I will be fine. In fact, I have been getting too much sleep since Tony left. But I will get over this."  
"I have no doubts that you won't get through it. But, by Friday, if you are incapable of handling this case, as Director, it is my duty to suspend you from working on it."  
"I know, Jenny. You will not have to worry, I will be fine."

"Good. So, how are things between you and Tony?"

Ziva was shocked at the turn the conversation took. "Jen, I do not find it suitable in any way to discuss this at this time."

"Of course you do. But as a friend, I have a right to know."

Ziva sighed in surrender. "Things are great. Who knew he could be so romantic? And since our little one night stand a month ago, we've only had sex once. I never took him for the type to take things slowly."

"He can be a very sweet guy. No matter what he says, Jeanne changed him."

"I know."

"Do you love him?"

Ziva, once again shocked by the twist in the conversation, responded, "Um, well, I...yes, I do."

Tony lay on the soft, comfortable bed of his hotel room, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts of Ziva could not help but cross his mind constantly. All he could think about last night while he kissed Lucia was Ziva. The way she laughed, the way she smiled at him, the way her hair smelled, the deep brown of her eyes, the way she snored, the way she slept with her head on his chest. One kiss brought it all back.

He got off of his bed and rummaged through his suitcase until he found the picture of him and Ziva he had stashed in his carry on at the last minute. He had taken it in Ziva's living room. She was curled under his left arm, wearing his Ohio State sweatshirt and a pair of sweats. Her hair was in a sloppy bun and she was hiding from the camera, giggling. He thought she looked beautiful.

He was in love with her.

He sighed melodramatically to himself and stashed the picture under his pillow, attempting to get some sleep.


	7. Missed

Chapter Seven-Missed

By Tuesday evening, Ziva had pretty much moved on from the temporary loss of Tony. She would be seeing him again soon, from a distance of course, but it's better than nothing. Since Tony was allegedly "laying low" she decided that giving him a call couldn't hurt. But of course, the risk of his phone records being tracked presented itself. So Ziva grabbed her keys and wallet and dashed across the street to the nearest pay phone.

When he picked up with a standard, "Hello?" Ziva nearly melted.

"Gregory?" she asked, using the required code word, hoping he wouldn't notice the obvious crack in her voice.

"Ziva! Why are you calling? Is everything okay?" he asked in a panicked tone.

"Everything's fine, I just missed you. Where are you?"

"My hotel. I missed you too, Ziva, you have no idea."

"Oh believe me, I do. How's Italy?"

"Extremely boring."

"I can hardly believe that. You're in Italy, for God's sake!"

"Well, without you, I can't possibly have any fun."  
"Oh sure, what about Lucia?"

A fierce moment of silence passed between them.

"That was low, Ziva. You know what it felt like, kissing her? Horrible. You have no idea, Ziva. You have no idea how much it feels betraying the one I love. Even if you know everything about it."

"I'm sorry Tony. I love you," she said barely above a whisper.

"I love you too, Ziva. Like you wouldn't believe."

They chatted a little bit until a line started forming for the phone. Even though their conversation lasted only a few minutes, it made the rest of Ziva's week.

By the time Friday morning rolled around, Ziva was getting into her normal routine again. She got up at 5:30, ran her usual five miles, showered, had a cup of coffee, got ready for work, packed some last minute things, grabbed her suitcase and left.

When she got to work she took the elevator straight up to MTAC as directed. She was apparently the first one there. She took a seat and finished her coffee by the time Jenny and Gibbs arrived.

"Good morning," she greeted them, which they returned. About five minutes later, McGee joined them.

Six hours later Ziva sat on a borrowed private jet from the CIA next to a dozing McGee. She could not wait to land; sitting for nine hours straight was driving her insane. Italy better be exciting.

"How are you doing, Ziva?" Jenny asked, taking the empty seat next to her.

"I am fine. How much longer until we land?"

"Three more hours. You'll be happy to know that after we check into our hotel we will be stopping by Tony's room to set up surveillance equipment."

"So we will get to see him?" Ziva asked, sudden butterflies rising in her stomach.

"For a few minutes, yes. Better than nothing, right?"

"Yes," Ziva breathed with a huge grin plastered on her face.

She was going to see Tony again after all.

Tony awoke to a loud knocking on his door. He grumbled some sort of response, rubbed his eyes, and made his way sleepily to the door. He opened it and there stood McGee.

Before Tony could shout an insulting greeting, McGee shushed him. Extremely confused, Tony watched McGee enter his room and..._ohhh. _He was sweeping for any sort of surveillance equipment. Once he completed a sweep of the room, he exited and shouted, "We're good!" down the hallway.

_Who is he talking to? _Tony thought to himself. Then, as if answering his thought, Tony saw Jenny, Gibbs, and Ziva enter his room.

His heart practically skipped a beat.

He could tell Ziva felt the same way, and without even caring who was in the room with them, she leaped into his arms. He practically melted under her tight grasp. She had her arms locked tightly behind his neck, and before he could register that she was really here, in the flesh, her lips crashed against his.

His first thought as he kissed her with extreme passion was the audience they currently had. And, of course, the fact that Gibbs didn't know about their relationship.

He broke away from her suddenly and noticed the two curious gazes locked on them, as well as one amused one.

"What's so funny, Boss?" Tony asked nonchalantly.

"You guys suck at secret keeping," Gibbs answered with a laugh.

Ziva sat on the only bed in Tony's hotel room, curled up against Tony's side. He was leaving to pick up Lucia in less than two hours and Jenny allowed them to have a few minutes of alone time before setting up the surveillance equipment.

Tony reached under the pillow behind him and pulled out a picture.

It was of the two of them at her apartment. Ziva remembered the exact day it was taken two weeks ago. They were watching a movie, as usual, and she was refusing he take the picture. She was in sweats with no makeup on and her hair in a knot on top of her head. Tony tortured her with the camera; she couldn't help but laugh at him.

"You kept this?" she asked.

"Of course. You know, you should probably go" he suggested.

She had just been thinking the same thing, but was avoiding it. "I know. But I don't want to."

"You're only a few floors down. It's not like we're several thousand miles apart anymore. I love you, Ziva."

Ziva melted at his last few words. "I love you too, my little hairy butt."

They both laughed, kissed anxiously, then Ziva left. She made her way slowly to the room she and McGee were sharing, let herself in and plopped on the bed. McGee took that as the cue for him to leave, and did so.

Two hours later Ziva was pulling a silky emerald dress over her head and strapping on black stilettos. It was the same outfit she wore when she went undercover as Sophie, Tony's wife, the serial killer.

She couldn't help but find irony in that.

She strapped her thigh holster on and left the bathroom.

McGee was looking in the mirror above the small television, trying to tie his tie.

"Here, let me help," she offered and he willingly accepted. "You look very handsome, Tim."

"You look great yourself. Do you know if the director and Gibbs are ready yet?"

"No. Let's go find out," she suggested. He nodded in agreement and they went next door.

They were going undercover at the restaurant Tony was taking Lucia to as two other couples. Jenny and Gibbs; McGee and Ziva. Perfectly natural, right?


	8. Tears

**I'm finally done with summer reading, so updates should be more regular! Thanks to reviewers, hope you enjoy! :**

Chapter Eight-Tears

Ziva pretended to be absorbed in a conversation with McGee about...oh God knows what. All she could see was Tony and the charming smile he wore halfway across the restaurant.

She also noticed the gorgeous woman he was eating with. The camera did Lucia Benedetto no justice. She was undeniably magnificent. Her long, chestnut brown hair was partially pulled into a diamond barrette, and she was dressed in a tiny black dress. And tiny is only one of many adjectives that could describe her attire.

It was strapless and knee length with intricate designs all down the left side in diamonds, accompanied by a slit up the right side clear up to her hip.  
And that was all Ziva could see from where she was seated.

"Ziva?" McGee asked. "Have you even noticed the plate of shrimp scampi in front of you?"

"No," she said with a pathetic pout.

"Well you should probably look at me while I'm talking to you so we look like an actual couple," he whispered angrily.

"I don't need acting advice from you, Timothy," she shot back.

"Well it looks like you do, Ziva! All you're doing is staring at him, which is going to blow our cover pretty soon! Please, just look like you are on a date and happy to be here!"

She opened her mouth to retaliate when another voice said in her ear piece, "Ziva, don't." Jenny. "Chat a little bit, then go home. Maintain your cover on the walk home, let McGee let you in the room. It _is_ in his name. Jethro and I will be back later."

McGee and Ziva exchanged an apologetic glance, then continued with casual conversation.

When Ziva left with a flirty grin plastered on her face, she wanted to cry.

Tony nearly leaped out of his seat as he saw McGee kiss Ziva lightly on the lips in his peripheral vision. It took all of his self control to stay seated and concentrate on what Lucia was saying.

When they got up and left, Tony was somewhat relieved; he no longer had to struggle to maintain his cover.

"Antonio? Sweetie, are you listening to me?" Lucia asked, breaking his trance.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" he asked in perfect Italian.

"I asked if you were finished."

"Si," he answered. He then grinned suggestively and asked, "Come di dirigiamo di nuovo al mio luogo?" _How about we head back to my place?_

"Okay. Let's go," she answered with the same grin he was wearing.

He paid for the meal and then he and Lucia left. When he walked out the door he swore he saw Jenny and Gibbs kissing—and not faking it like McGee and Ziva were. All he could do was chuckle to himself.

Ziva laid awake, staring straight at the ceiling. She glanced at the clock—3 AM. She sighed, rolled over, and looked at McGee. He was fast asleep, laying flat on his stomach. She wanted more than anything to be doing the same. She got out of bed, grabbed her robe. She sat down at the small desk and turned on the computer.

From the looks of the infrared camera they had strategically placed beside the television in Tony's room, Lucia had spent the night. She was fast asleep, and Tony was wide awake, sitting up and staring at the ceiling. Ziva wanted so badly to be next to him, to touch him, to kiss him, to feel the thrum of his heartbeat under her head.

But of course, she wanted what she could not have.

She picked up the disposable cell phone that Jen had given each one of them to use during this investigation. She dialed the hotel's number, followed by Tony's room number. On the monitor, she saw him get off of the bed, walk over to the nightstand, and pick up the phone. On her phone, she heard him answer with a standard, "Hello?"

"Gregory?" she asked, once again using their designated code word.

"Ziva? Why are you calling?" he whispered.

"I wanted to hear your voice," she pouted.

He sighed quietly then said, "Ziva, I miss you too, believe me. But you can't keep calling me. We have to refrain from speaking unless in emergencies pertaining to the investigation."

"Why? I know Lucia's asleep, I can see it from here. There's no problem."

"Yes there is. It's too risky. The more we see or talk to each other, the harder it'll be for us to maintain our cover. Please, Ziva. Stop calling."

"Why? Huh? If you miss me as much as I miss you, you shouldn't want me to stop."

"Because I love you, and I don't want this to hurt us. We have to stop, because it's too risky."

They were silent for a moment, then Ziva said, "Okay. I am sorry. I love you too." And then the line went dead.

Ziva crawled back into bed and cried herself to sleep.


	9. Women

Chapter Nine-Women

Tony awoke to the sleeping form of Lucia beside him. He could not wait until this assignment was over.

Ziva had called him no more than six hours ago and practically ripped his heart out of his chest. He hated having to say no to her, but it had to be said. They couldn't keep talking while he was undercover like they had been. Way too risky.

He wanted to, more than anything. He would rather wake up to the dark, thick curls of Ziva's hair and her deep brown eyes than Lucia's pin straight hair and bright green eyes.

He sighed melodramatically to himself, rolled over onto his side, and kissed the top of Lucia's head lightly. He figured if he wanted to get out of this, he might as well face the music and be his usual charming self.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered in her ear. He saw her smile with her perfect, surgically whitened teeth and kiss him on the cheek.

"You need to shower," she murmured and smiled again. All he could picture while seeing her smile at him was Ziva. God, this might just be the death of him.

"Wanna help?" he asked with raised eyebrows and a mischievous smile.

She agreed enthusiastically and they headed towards the bathroom.

Ziva awoke to a soggy pillow and McGee's face two centimeters from her own.

"God, Ziva. Isn't light sleeping part of Mossad training or somthing? Get up," he practically hissed.

"Jeez, so sorry McGee," she snapped sarcastically. He glared back at her. "Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the head this morning."

"Bed, Ziva. The head is the restroom," he corrected her.

"Eh, same difference. Why so cranky?"

"_Someone _kept me up most of the night."

"Really? You looked like you were soundly asleep."

"I was, until about 3 AM until that _someone _called Tony and was arguing with him. Then that _someone _didn't think that I needed any sleep."

"Really? You know what it's like, Tim, to have the love of your life sleeping around with some amazingly beautiful and perfect woman and not be able to do anything about it? It sucks. It just downright sucks."

"You, of all people, are the last person I would suspect to act like a lovesick teenager," he hissed, then proceeded out the door.

Ziva remained in shock of what he had just said. A lovesick teenager? Please. She was not an over-dramatic, over-hormonal, over-bitchy..._oh my God, I am._

She didn't mean it. When it came to Tony, she honestly didn't know what to do with herself. She lost control. It was amazing, and at the same time it kind of sucked.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she was startled by a knock on her door.

"Tim, you are the last person I want to talk to right now!" she yelled, unaware that the man standing behind the door was not, in fact, Tim.

"It isn't Tim, Ziva," Gibbs' voice said. "Can you let me in?"

Ziva obliged and did as he said. "What can I help you with, Boss?" she asked politely, her way of apologizing to him about yelling at him.

"I think we need to talk," he said, taking a seat on her bed; she followed and sat next to him.

"About what? Oh God, I'm not being fired, am I?" she asked panicky. _I'm in Italy and my boss is wearing that so-sorry-but-i-have-bad-news look. How can I get a flight home, I'm in freaking Italy!_

"No, of course not." Ziva let out a breath of relief she hadn't realized she was holding. "But we still have to talk. About Tony."

"What about him? Is he all right?"

"He's fine, physically at least. But I know that emotionally, neither you or him are fine."

"What do you mean?"

"You are falling apart. This is exactly the reason I disapprove of relationships with coworkers. I'm not trying to be harsh about it, but you need to shape up. I know, it won't be easy. But believe me, Tony wants nothing to do with Lucia. He would much rather have you in his arms."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I know Tony. He's not that good at hiding his feelings. Enough to fool Lucia, yes. But not me. Or you, for that matter. You're letting jealousy cloud your instincts."

"It's not exactly simple to just get past it."

"No, it isn't. But you need to. He'll only be doing this for a minimum of another week, up to two more weeks. It really is no big deal, Ziva. Now get ready, we have a big day ahead of us."

Once Gibbs left she did as he said, slowly and methodically. Only another week? What are they hoping to accomplish, catching her? She highly doubted they would succeed. But this wasn't Mossad. They got the job done, no matter how sloppily. Which can be good and bad.

While Lucia was in the bathroom, Tony did as he was supposed to with the food that was freshly delivered from room service. Ham omelets. For once, something somewhat American. As much as he loved pasta, too much of it was making him sick. He pulled the tiny, edible tracking device out of his pocket and strategically placed it in one of the omelets. He then grabbed one for himself and started eating it.

"Smells delicious," Lucia commented, picking up the omelet he wasn't eating. The one with the tracking device.

"It is," he responded, in English, his mouth full of egg and ham. His heart started to beat erratically out of nerves; he prayed to God the plan would work okay. The last thing he needed was his cover blown.

Thankfully, ten minutes later, both omelets were gone, as well as Lucia. She said she had some "business to attend to". As soon as she left, his cell phone rang. Jenny.

"All systems go?" she asked.

"Yup," he answered, and then the line went dead.


	10. Evidence

Chapter Ten-Evidence

"She's about a block ahead of you, Boss," McGee's voice said in Gibbs' ear. He continued to drive the stupid, backwards Italian rental car at a slow but steady pace. Apparently Miss Benedetto was in no rush.

He had been following Lucia since the second she left the hotel, and she's been moving at a snail's pace. It seemed like she was taking him on a tour of the slums of Rome. Fascinating stuff, really.

All he wanted to do was put a few rounds through her forehead.

"McGee, please tell me she is reaching her destination."

"Um, not yet, Make the next left."

Gibbs did as the probie told him and turned left. Which is no easy feat for him in this backwards place.

"Park along the road about halfway down the street. She's stopped at the end."

Once again Gibbs did as McGee said and parked, which was also rather difficult.

"Now what, Elflord?"

"We wait."

Which is exactly what they did for an hour, until McGee broke the silence. "Are you sure you saw two other people in the car?"

"Yes. Here she comes! There's another man with her. Only one this time."

"Okay. She's going down the next road. Wait there for a moment, then go down the alley and into the first door on the right."

Once again, Gibbs obeyed Probie's commands. He tiptoed down the alley past stray cats, rats, garbage, cockroaches, and various other critters, clutching his SIG the entire time. He opened the door without a struggle and was horrified by the scene before his eyes.

"We got another one."

"Poor man," Ziva said, clutching her camera. Petty Officer Lokab lay in a pool of his own blood, his eyes still wide open. A red-hot metal stake was shoved through his chest.

"Tell me about it. This was not an instantaneous death," the medical examiner said. "If he was killed only a few minutes after entering the building, that explains why they waited over an hour to depart. They wanted to make sure he was good and dead before leaving."

All Ziva could think of, still, was Tony. If this is what Lucia is capable of doing to a stranger, imagine what she'll do to Tony if she gets her hands on him. She shuddered at the thought.

"I think we're done here. We already know who the killer is, who the victim is, how he died, when he died. All we need now is proof," the medical examiner said.

"And that's what we're not going to find. C'mon guys, let's get back. Apparently Jenny has other plans for us," Gibbs said, gathering the equipment.

McGee awoke from his unnecessary nap to the shrill ringing of his cell phone. "Hello?" he answered.

"TIMMY! How's Italy?" Abby's familiar voice asked.

"Not as fun when you're working."

"Where's Gibbs or Jenny? They aren't answering their phones."

"Like I'm supposed to know? Hang on a second."

McGee slipped shoes on and went next door, knocking on the door. No answer, of course. He knocked louder. "Coming, god dammit," he heard Gibbs mumble. _Great, the last thing I need is Gibbs in a sour mood._

The door opened to a surprising sight; Gibbs, shirtless, his pants on twisted, his hair a mess. Jenny, nowhere to be sound. _Gross!!_

"Um, Boss, Abby needs to talk to you." McGee handed over his phone.

"Hi, Abs," he heard Gibbs answer, then take the phone to the other side of the room, Jenny emerged from the bathroom a minute later, her hair in a towel, wearing only a robe. _Gross!!_

"Ah, Timothy. I was not expecting you to drop by. Excuse me for a moment," she said, then dashed back into the bathroom.

"Where's Ziva?" Gibbs asked, returning McGee's phone to him.

"Next door."  
"Tell her to get over here. Abby's found something."

"Okay, so thanks to Tony we have Lucia's DNA and fingerprints. And guess what I found on the metal stake thingy you sent me?" Abby asked them all about 10 minutes later, now on speaker phone.

"Fingerprints or DNA?" McGee asked.

"Fingerprints! Lucia Benedetto's fingerprints, for the first time, are actually on the murder weapon!"

"Well whose fingerprints were usually on the murder weapons?" Ziva asked.

"Usually it was wiped clean. So we can't really connect her to the other murders since, unfortunately, all the cases went cold. The only thing we have to go on is the similarity. Will that stand up in court?"

"It could," McGee answered. "At least now we can convict her and get Tony out of this mess."

Ziva's face lit up at that.

"No way. We sent him undercover to get full conviction, not just this. Tony isn't getting out that easily," Jenny disagreed.

"Then what do we do?" Ziva asked, all previous hope lost.

"We get her to confess to Tony," Jenny answered confidently.

"How?" Ziva pushed.

"I have no idea."


	11. Reunited

**I thought it would be interesting to show some from Lucia's point of view. Thanks again to reviewers and such!**

**Also: a smidget of M-rated content. Not a whole lot, just a warning to be safe.**

Chapter Eleven-Reunited

Lucia awoke in her tiny apartment, Antonio snoring by her side. She felt bad about it, but she had to do something about him. He just wasn't the bad boy type. Once she told him, she'd have to kill him. And she was deadly serious about that--no pun intended.

"Good morning, sweet cheeks," she said in plain English, kissing him lightly on the lips.

He grumbled a response and kissed back. Oh, she was going to regret this.

"I have a surprise for you," she said, grinning. He smiled, his eyes remaining closed. "Come on, open your eyes. We have a _very _long day ahead of us."  
He opened his eyes, smiled widely, and kissed her again. When his tongue touched hers, she knew it was going to be an even longer day.

After some fantastic morning lovemaking, Antonio tumbled out of bed, breathless, and ambled for the shower. Lucia gave him some time to recompose himself and followed, quietly. He turned on the shower, warmed up the water, then turned around, a surprised look on his face at the sight of her.

"Thought I could help," she suggested with a mischievous grin. Of course, she just wanted to get enough fun in before the big event.

He stepped into the shower then gestured for her to follow. Of course, she obliged willingly.

The warm water poured over them as Antonio wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and kissed her passionately. He walked his fingers slowly up her back and twisted them in her hair.

She broke away reluctantly, then said, "We should probably get ready. We have a lot to do today." The look he gave her after she said that practically broke her heart. She turned her back to him and grabbed the shampoo, blaming the tears leaking out of her eyes on the water. She wished she didn't have to do this.

"Come onnnnnn," Lucia pleaded. Tony could only follow; he had nothing to worry about, Lucia's tracking device was still in place and the team would be following them at a discreet distance, prepared for anything. He also had a recording device, as well as a listening device. Ziva was currently telling him what he needed to know, providing encouragement, and just being soothing. Jenny figured her voice would be more calming than McGee's. She was definitely right.

"It's okay, go with her. We are at the other end of the street. Don't look now, that will be too obvious. Just go with her and we'll be following. We are pretty sure what her big surprise is and I know you are too but just play dumb. It will be fine."

He wanted to agree with her; he knew it was going to be fine, he didn't need babying and convincing. He knew the plan, they had gone over it several times. He just wanted to get this over with.

He joined Lucia in her car and off they went.

A silent ten minute car ride later they were in the slums, parked along the street across from what looked like an abandoned building. Tony noticed, however, that it was still a functioning apartment building. Yuck.

"What are we doing here? I can't imagine this is the huge surprise you were talking about," he said, perfectly smooth and calm. Of course, his palms were so sweaty he could barely unbuckle his seatbelt, his legs were shaking so badly he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to stand up and his heart was beating so fast and erratically he was pretty sure it might just stop altogether. But he wasn't nervous. Oh, no way at all.

"Come with me," she demanded.

He obeyed as Ziva said in his ear, "Go with her. It's okay. As soon as you guys are in that building we'll be right outside it. You know what to do."

Ziva stood at the entrance that Tony and Lucia used, gun in hand, prepared for the worst. She couldn't wait for this to be over with, all she wanted was to have Tony in her arms again. For good. No having to worry about his other girlfriend, the gorgeous Italian serial killer.

"Okay, Tony, any minute now. Just play dumb, remember?" she said to Tony in her most soothing voice. She listened intently to what Lucia was telling him, that she had a deep, dark secret. A deadly secret.

"Yeah, isn't that the truth," Ziva muttered to herself. She inched closer to the door, anticipating for Lucia to spill her guts any second.

And she was right. Before the last word was out of Lucia's mouth, Ziva said to Tony, "I'm coming in!" She could almost feel his relief.

She threw open the door and shouted, "Federal agent, hands in the air!" When Lucia refused to oblige she muttered, "Gibbs, backup."

Gibbs and McGee entered through the back door, guns drawn and pointed at Lucia, just as Ziva was doing. Ziva shouted again, "Miss Benedetto, hands in the air!"

Lucia reached underneath her jacket and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ziva. She saw Tony stiffen in her peripheral vision.

"You do not want to do that Lucia!" Gibbs shouted. Lucia turned and pointed the gun instead at Gibbs. Tony clenched his fists.

"You even move your finger towards that trigger, we will shoot you!" Gibbs shouted.

"Ha, really?" Lucia said, pointing her gun at Gibbs, then McGee, then Gibbs, then McGee.

Ziva took out her spare gun while Lucia was distracted and sidestepped closer to Tony, handing it to him. She then moved back into her position, struggling to keep her eyes on the prize.

"Lucia, you have four guns pointed at you. I would suggest surrendering!" Ziva shouted.

"Four...?" Lucia asked, confused, spinning around to face Ziva and Tony. "Antonio...?"

"Actually, it's Anthony. Preferably Tony. I'm sorry Lucia, but it has to be done. Surrender, you'll be in deeper shit if you resist!" he shouted at her. She looked like she was ready to cry.

"Fine, fine!" she yelled, setting her gun on the floor, kicking it to Tony and raising her hands in the air. Tony grabbed her gun, uncocked it, Gibbs cuffed her, and McGee and Ziva kept their guns pointed at Lucia.

Once Gibbs was gone and McGee following, Ziva uncocked her gun, placed it back in her holster and Tony set Ziva's spare and Lucia's on the ground. Ziva leaped into his arms, crashing her lips against his. He was practically in tears with a mixture of relief and happiness running through him.

"Thank God that is over, huh?" Ziva asked when they broke apart.

"You can say that again. I missed you so, so much," Tony responded, embracing her tightly.

"We should probably get back to the others. We have to take Lucia to Naples," she said.

"I think McGee and Gibbs have that covered." He set her down on the ground and kissed her again, holding her face gently. She couldn't believe that he was all hers again, finally.


	12. New Operations

**Last chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone!!**

Chapter Twelve-New Operations

Three days later they were all back at work, like nothing had happened. Of course, Ziva and Tony's prolonged separation caused even more tension between them and lust for the other. It was very hard for either of them to contain themselves.

Their first day back at work Ziva was sitting at her desk typing her case report when a paper airplane landed on her keyboard. She smiled and opened it.

_Tomorrow night, you and me, dinner at my place. 8 o'clock._

_Love, you-know-who._

Tony was constantly sending her silly messages like that. She didn't even know he was capable of cooking.

She scribbled a brief response--_I will see you there. Will you actually be cooking or will it be pizza again?--_and sent the airplane sailing over to Tony's desk.

A few minutes later Ziva watched Tony throw the paper airplane back to her as Gibbs entered the bullpen. He caught it in midair, opened it, and read their notes quickly.

"You two are worse than teenagers. As a matter of fact, Ziva, Tony is a very good cook," Gibbs commented, throwing the airplane into his garbage can.

Ziva and Tony exchanged a smile, then got back to work.

Merely moments later Gibbs' phone rang. The last thing they needed was another case when they had all of this paperwork to do from the previous one.

"DiNozzo, David, McGee, Director's office, ASAP," Gibbs said, marching up the stairs. The team followed him, slightly confused.

Director Shepard sat at her large desk, still filling out the proper paperwork from their previous investigation. She heard a knock and the door and was then joined by Jethro, Ziva, Tony, and McGee.

"Good morning. How's it feel to back to work?" she asked the team.

"Great," was Ziva and Tony's simultaneous enthusiastic response.

"I'm glad to hear that. Please, have a seat." They pulled chairs from around the table to in front of her desk.

"You all know that the Benedetto case was very successful. We got plenty of Naval officers the justice they deserved. As well as getting a serial killer off of the streets."

"I know how much you all hate undercover assignments, but I have been asked by the CIA, thanks to the fantastic job you just did, to conduct another one."

She waited for this news to sink in before anyone responded.Jethro's was the most planned for and expected retaliation, "No way. We're just recovering from the Benedetto one. Did you see what that operation did to us?"

"Yes, I was there Jethro. This time, Tony and Ziva won't have to worry about separation."

She watched their facial expressions go from pure anger to pure relief.

"What do you mean, Jenny?" Ziva asked.

"Remember when you were Sophie and Jean-Paul Reńe?"

"I'll be Tony's wife again?"

"Not entirely. But similar to that situation. What do you say?"

Ziva and Tony exchanged a meaningful glance then they both said, "We're in."


End file.
